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Holding midfield: Casemiro
Casemiro is one of the most underrated players, both for his club and country. The likes of Luka Modric, Toni Kroos and Isco tend to hog all the limelight in the midfield, but this man is in charge of all the dirty work at the back which allows the talented Real Madrid players to bomb forward and attack.
Casemiro acts as the shield in front of the defense, and his phenomenal defensive skills offer Real Madrid the vital balance.
Casemiro's positional skills make him stand out from the rest, and he's also solid tracking back and while tackling. He's not shy about conceding the odd foul to break up play when Real Madrid are exposed at the back.
One aspect of his game that isn't noticed is his crisp passing under pressure. He also contributes the odd crucial goal, especially in European matches.
The Brazilian has been key to Real Madrid's domination in Europe over the past three years.
Left Central midfield: Philippe Coutinho
The 25-year-old is currently the third most expensive player on the planet following his move from Liverpool to Barcelona, which illustrates the value Coutinho provides to the team he plays for.
Despite playing for two different teams this season and enduring spells on the sidelines due to the move, Coutinho ended the season with a fantastic tally of 22 goals and 14 assists in all competitions.
The Brazilian was Liverpool's most important player after Steven Gerrard's retirement; he was the player they looked up to when a moment of magic was required. Liverpool's number 10 gave his fans lots of memorable moments before he left for Barcelona as a replacement for the ageing Andres Iniesta.
Coutinho was one of the best players in the Premier League in 2017-18 while he was playing, and even got his first hat-trick for the club in the Champions League. Though he was cup-tied from Europe, he played a key role in Barcelona's La Liga title triumph and immediately formed a great understanding with Lionel Messi and former Anfield teammate Luis Suarez.
Coutinho was expected to feature in Brazil's frightening attack in the World Cup, but the attack failed to step up. Coutinho ended up being the man who had to pull the Brazilian side through to the quarterfinals, but despite his best efforts, the favorites crashed out against Belgium in the last 8 stage.
Right Central midfield: James Rodriguez
James Rodriguez had a rocky time at Madrid, as he failed to find a place in Zinedine Zidane's first XI. After three stop-start seasons, the Colombian realized he needed to move abroad to push his career on, and Bayern Munich came calling for the talented midfielder - securing his services on a two-year loan deal.
Rodriguez took to Allianz Arena like a duck takes to water as he fit in perfectly with the system employed by Jupp Heynckes. After a slow start to the campaign, he was afforded regular playing time and he showed the world what he was capable of and why Real Madrid had paid so much to buy him.
Rodriguez's performances in the Champions League were crucial in Bayern Munich's run to the semifinal. He even managed to score against his parent club Real Madrid.
The Golden Boot winner of the 2014 World Cup went into this year's tournament on the back of injury concerns. The darling of Colombia was expected to lead the charge along with skipper Radamel Falcao, especially after a spectacular performance against Poland, but injury issues saw him miss out on the second round loss against England.
